"We deliver territorial cohesion: our most important results are new knowledge, shared experiences and enhanced capacities".

Alpine Space projects test and implement innovative approaches to joint and complex challenges, creating new ideas and building capacities as they develop. The project partners develop a habit of cooperation and a strong sense of shared interests, which often results in considering issues as Alpine Space rather than local/regional.

IMEAS: working together for a more efficient use of energy

From villages to countries, all governance levels in the Alpine area are facing similar challenges when it comes to the implementation of integrated low-carbon policies, sustainable energy plans, and the use of renewable energies. Cooperation is therefore highly needed between these governance layers to make the Alpine Space a successful partner in the EU “new energy deal” for energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The IMEAS multi-disciplinary team of technical, sociological and territorial partners develops a methodology and practical guidance for the creation and integration of roadmaps based on multi-level approaches to climate change mitigation, energy innovation potential, economic structures and control of energy plans. The participatory approach capitalises on the heterogeneity of the Alpine Space.

RocktheAlps: forests are assets against natural risks

One of the major natural risks threatening the viability and liveability of the Alpine Space is rockfall. Against these natural risks, forests constitute a valuable asset, as their existence and well-being can lead to increased slope stability and prevent the release of snow avalanches. 40% of the Alpine Space is covered by forests. RockTheAlps focuses on the insertion of their ecosystem as a protection element against rockfall in risk management and prevention policy.

In order to do so, the project is working on developing the first Alpine harmonised risk and protection forest map, based on an innovative common rockfall model considering the efficacy of forest ecosystems in risk prevention. The project outputs (maps, factual data, and syntheses of information) will support local, regional, national and European governance authorities in their assessment and promotion of forest based solutions in rockfall risk prevention strategy and policy.

Greencycle: towards circular economy

In Maribor, Slovenia, children learn how to give a new life to waste objects, while developing a positive attitude toward recycling. In Trento, Italy, pupils walk to school under the guidance of volunteers. In Austria, the Energy.Aware.Götzis campaign has encouraged users of municipal buildings to save energy through active involvement. In Vienne, France, methane gas is extracted from wastewater and up to 97% of waste textiles is being reused. All these initiatives move toward circular economy, whose goal is to reduce waste to a minimum thanks to smart design, repair, reuse and recycle.

GREENCYCLE promotes this model as a cross-sectoral approach to support low-carbon strategies and reduce greenhouse emissions by 2-4% in the 14 partner cities. This way, partner cities will become circular economy benchmarks and will actively involve other cities and regions. The Greencycle circular economy toolbox, transnational marketplace and circular economy knowledge platform will become a resource for all Alpine Space municipalities.

THE4BEES: energy is consumed by people rather than by buildings

No waste reduction can be obtained without a change in people’s behavior and the same is true for energy savings. “Energy is consumed by people rather than by buildings” is the starting point of THE4BEES, a project aimed at increasing energy savings by raising awareness, engaging users and encouraging behavioral change and measuring consumption through open-source ICT applications. The project also provides guidelines for energy efficiency and territorial development.

DesAlps: for an innovative Alpine Space

According to the Regional Innovation Scoreboard, the Alpine region stands among the most innovative EU regions. Nevertheless the growth of Alpine SMEs is restrained by unequal services and funding opportunities between urban and mountain areas. In addition, collaboration across Alpine Space countries on innovation is limited.

DesAlps aims at improving the framework conditions for innovation in the Alpine Space, by enhancing practitioners’ and policy makers' knowledge and know-how exchanges and build their capacities in design thinking, so that they can best assist entrepreneurs with dedicated strategies and structures to enhance SMEs' growth. DesAlps is also implementing a durable transnational cooperation network thanks to Design Thinking hotspots that will act as permanent cross-fertilisation actors, boosting the potential for business innovation and consensus building for Design Thinking inclusion and policies.

Italian EUSALP presidency 2019 emphasizes green economy

Italy has taken over the presidency over EUSALP for 2019. It will be managed by Lombardy Region in coordination with the other Italian regions and provinces involved in the strategy. The presidency aims to enhance the multilevel system of EUSALP, with a strong “bottom-up” involvement of regional and provincial administrations and other local stakeholders and strategic coordination at national level.

The leading theme of the presidency will be the development of the competitiveness of the macro-region with a special focus on the green economy and innovation sectors, and the creation of new job opportunities in these sectors. The Alps are considered a perfect “living lab” for green economy and innovation and, thanks to the macro-regional cooperation, they can become the basis for new sustainable development models. The orientation towards new “green” jobs is increasingly becoming an opportunity for economic development. The leading theme for 2019 will be kicked off in a political meeting on 27-28 February in Milan.

Read more about the work programme and planned events of the Italian EUSALP presidency here.